Embedded Content Requests in a Rights Locker System for Digital Content Access Control

1. A method for digital content access control, comprising: providing access by a user device to a rights locker provider for a rights locker, wherein said user device includes a token for use in creating authenticated rights locker access requests; determining, on said user device, a digital content specification associated with a digital content stored on a digital content repository, and an associated authenticated rights locker access request, which is associated with said digital content specification, wherein said associated authenticated rights locker access request was previously authenticated by said rights locker provider for the rights locker; sending, from said user device to said rights locker provider for the rights locker, said authenticated rights locker access request and said digital content specification; receiving, on said user device, from said rights locker provider, in response to said sending, and based on a status of said token a new authenticated rights locker access request, that replaces the authenticated rights locker access request, wherein said new authenticated rights locker access request is embedded in a Web cookie, and a Web page with that includes one or more clickable links in response to said sending, wherein at least one of said one or more clickable links is associated with an authenticated digital content request; storing at least part of said new authenticated rights locker access request on said user device; receiving, on said user device, an indication of a user selection of said one or more clickable links associated with the authenticated digital content request; sending, from said user device, the authenticated digital content request associated with said one or more clickable links to the digital content repository; and receiving, on said user device from said digital content repository, in response to sending said authenticated digital content request, said digital content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said method further comprises determining, on said user device, one or more delivery parameters, said one or more delivery parameters indicating where said digital content should be sent, a delivery mechanism, or both; and said sending said authenticated rights locker access request and said digital content specification further comprises sending said one or more delivery parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing at least part of said new authenticated rights locker access request in a bookmark on said user device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said new authenticated rights locker access request is encapsulated in a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Response message.

5. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for digital content access control, the method comprising: providing access by a user device to a rights locker provider for a rights locker, wherein said user device includes a token for use in creating authenticated rights locker access requests; determining, on said user device, a digital content specification associated with a digital content stored on a digital content repository, and an associated authenticated rights locker access request, which is associated with said digital content specification, wherein said associated authenticated rights locker access request was previously authenticated by said rights locker provider for the rights locker; sending, from said user device to said rights locker provider for the rights locker, said authenticated rights locker access request and said digital content specification; receiving, on said user device, from said rights locker provider, in response to said sending, and based on a status of said token a new authenticated rights locker access request, that replaces the authenticated rights locker access request, wherein said new authenticated rights locker access request is embedded in a Web cookie, and a Web page with that includes one or more clickable links in response to said sending, wherein at least one of said one or more clickable links is associated with an authenticated digital content request; storing at least part of said new authenticated rights locker access request on said user device; receiving, on said user device, an indication of a user selection of said one or more clickable links associated with the authenticated digital content request; sending, from said user device, the authenticated digital content request associated with said one or more clickable links to the digital content repository; and receiving, on said user device from said digital content repository, in response to sending said authenticated digital content request, said digital content.

6. The program storage device of claim 5 wherein said method further comprises determining, on said user device, one or more delivery parameters, said one or more delivery parameters indicating where said digital content should be sent, a delivery mechanism, or both; and said sending said authenticated rights locker access request and said digital content specification further comprises sending said one or more delivery parameters.

7. The program storage device of claim 5 , said method further comprising storing at least part of said new authenticated rights locker access request in a bookmark on said user device.

8. The program storage device of claim 5 wherein said new authenticated rights locker access request is encapsulated in a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Response message.

9. An apparatus for digital content access control, comprising: a digital content repository for storing a plurality of digital contents, and an interface that provides access by a user device to a rights locker provider for a rights locker, wherein said user device includes a token for use in creating authenticated rights locker access requests; and a processor configured to: determine, on said user device, a digital content specification associated with a digital content stored on the digital content repository, and an associated authenticated rights locker access request, which is associated with said digital content specification, wherein said associated authenticated rights locker access request was previously authenticated by said rights locker provider for the rights locker; send, from said user device to said rights locker provider for the rights locker, said authenticated rights locker access request and said digital content specification; receive, on said user device, from said rights locker provider, in response to said sending, and based on a status of said token a new authenticated rights locker access request, that replaces the authenticated rights locker access request, wherein said new authenticated rights locker access request is embedded in a Web cookie, and a Web page with that includes one or more clickable links in response to said sending, wherein at least one of said one or more clickable links is associated with an authenticated digital content request; store at least part of said new authenticated rights locker access request; receive, on said user device, an indication of a user selection of said one or more clickable links associated with the authenticated digital content request; send, from said user device, the authenticated digital content request associated with said one or more clickable links to the digital content repository; and receive, on said user device from said digital content repository, in response to sending said authenticated digital content request, said digital content.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said processor is further configured to: determine, on said user device, one or more delivery parameters, said one or more delivery parameters indicating where said digital content should be sent, a delivery mechanism, or both; and said sending said authenticated rights locker access request and said digital content specification further comprises sending said one or more delivery parameters.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said apparatus comprises a smart card.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said smart card comprises a Java Card™ technology-enabled smart card.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said smart card comprises a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology-enabled smart card.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said smart card comprises a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said processor is further configured to store at least part of said new authenticated rights locker access request in a bookmark on said user device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said new authenticated rights locker access request is encapsulated in a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Response message.